My latest coin features the common altar type which in various guises was struck throughout the Flavian era. The fact it's an architectural type ticks a major box for me! This one featuring Titus Caesar hails from Lugdunum. Titus as Caesar [Vespasian] Æ As, 8.73g Lyon mint, 77-78 AD Obv: T CAES IMP AVG F TR P COS VI CENSOR; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r.; globe at point of bust Rev: PROVIDENT in exergue; S C in field; Garlanded Altar RIC 1271 (C2). BMC 867. BNC 878. Acquired from CGB.fr, January 2022. Originally, Tiberius struck the Provident altar type for Divus Augustus. The altar depicted is dedicated to Providentia, the personification of the emperor's divine providence. Although the type is commonly described as an altar, Marvin Tameanko has convincingly argued it is actually a sacellum, or small shrine. This popular type was later revived during the Civil War by Galba and Vitellius. Vespasian began striking it early in his reign both at Rome and Lyon, confining the type to the As issues. This fairly common variant was struck for Titus Caesar at Lyon (Lugdunum) in 77-78. Interestingly, the NT in PROVIDENT is in ligature. Please show your altars! Or, favourite 'common' types.
Nice I like the garlanded type, yet to acquire one though. here's a A/Pius shrine a bit later. Divus Antoninus Pius, Rome 161 AD, AE Sestertius 32.2mm, 25.24gm, Large Enclosure/altar. RIC 1272.
I'm pretty fond of this coin from Trajanopolis - because of the appealing Caracalla portrait and also the flaming altar reverse Caracalla, AE18 of Trajanopolis, Thrace. AVT K M AVΡ ANTΩNINOC, laureate head right / TΡAIANOΠOΛEITΩN, flaming altar. Moushmov 5026; Varbanov 2767 var (bust type). As a fan of Consecratio or Consecratio-like types this also ticks boxes Divus Antoninus Pius AD 161. Rome Denarius AR 16 mm, 2,74 g RIC III Marcus Aurelius 441 DIVVS ANTONINVS Head of Antoninus Pius, bare, right DIVO PIO Square altar
What about an altar on a Titus antoninianus ? Titus, Antoninianus - Rome mint AD 250/251 DIVO TITO Radiate head right CONSECRATIO Large altar 3.60 gr Ref : RIC IV # 81b, Cohen # 405, RCV # 9465 in qblay's catalog : TI08/P015 Q
The term "altar" is very ambiguous, because it is used for very different things. An altar can be a simple cubic or cylindric stone block, not more than 1.00 or 1.50 m high, with a hollow in its top, in which were embers. An altar can also be a square building more than 4m high, with monumental doors. On coins the two kinds are represented. Altars with doors belong to the 2nd category, the Ara Pacis Augustae, in Rome, is a good example. This Julia Domna coin from Emesa (Homs, Syria) shows another kind of monumental altar. It was 2 storeys high, there probably were stairs on the back side for accessing to the summit, on which was a small cubic altar (the 1st category this time).
A bit of the East.... Khusro I 531-579AD-AR Drachm-Max 31mm diameter-3.84 grams Obverse..Facing bust, head right, wearing merlon crown with tassel to left and surmounted by crescent with 3 vertical lines. Crescents at 3, 6 and 9 o'clock. Right of portrait kings name. Reverse..Fire altar with two attendants standing facing either side of fire altar, wearing tall headgear, both hands on sword hilt. Star and crescent flanking flames of altar. Right-Mint HWC (Gunde-Shapur, Khuzistan) /Left- Regnal year 26 = 557AD. Hephthalites. Nezak Huns.. AR drachm. "Napki Malka" series. . Circa 515.680 A.D. Obverse..Bust right wearing winged-bull head-dress. Pahlavi legends nycky MLK-A Reverse:Fire altar with attendants, Solar wheels above. 3.41 grams....24.64 mm......Vondrovec [Göbl] 198
Nice garlanded altar (or sacellum), @David Atherton! Quite a variety of altars posted here so far, and, as @GinoLR pointed out, they came in many shapes and sizes. Here's a lit garlanded altar from the time of Nero: Syria, Seleucis and Pieria. Antiochia ad Orontem. Antioch Mint. Civic Issue. Æ Trichalkon (19 mm, 5.35 g). Caesarean Era year 114 = 65/66 AD. [A]NTIOXEΩN. Turreted, veiled, and draped bust of Tyche right. / Lighted and garlanded altar on stand. ET·ΔIP (date) in exergue.
